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RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The No. 9-ranked UW-River Falls football team dominated perennial WIAC power and No. 8-ranked UW-Whitewater by a score of 52-14 on Saturday afternoon at Ramer Field.
The Falcons, now 7-1 overall and 4-1 in WIAC play, earned their fourth win in a row and UWRF's first win over the Warhawks since 2001 - snapping a 22-game losing skid against UW-Whitewater.
UWRF's offense was nearly unstoppable, piling up 619 total yards, including 504 through the air, as Kaleb Blaha continued his sensational senior season. The dual-threat quarterback completed 30 of 51 passes for 492 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 63 yards and two more scores, accounting for seven total touchdowns on the afternoon. With his first rushing touchdown on the day, Blaha reached 52 in his career to become the UWRF all-time scoring leader, passing UWRF & WIAC Hall of Famer Greg Corning, who scored 51 career touchdowns from 1984-87.
After punting on their first drive, the Falcons struck quickly. Blaha connected with Austin Rush for a 12-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter, and just minutes later found Stephen Reifenberger for a 32-yard score to make it 14-0. Whitewater responded early in the second quarter, but Blaha and the Falcon offense answered immediately, as Jake Hilton hauled in a 75-yard touchdown pass. On the very next possession, Blake Rohrer took the top off the defense for an 82-yard touchdown reception that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Justin Scheberl added a 27-yard field goal before halftime to extend the lead to 31-7.
Whitewater managed a touchdown midway through the third quarter to cut the margin to 31–14, but UWRF responded yet again, with Blaha capping a 75-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. He added another rushing score early in the fourth quarter before connecting with Ben Wesolowski for a 25-yard touchdown that put the game well out of reach.
The Falcons' defense also turned in an outstanding effort, holding the Warhawks to just 239 total yards and a mere 46 on the ground. Gage Timm led the way with 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles, while Taylor Sussner added an interception. UWRF finished with three sacks and forced two turnovers in one of its most complete defensive performances of the season.
Blaha's aerial attack featured five different touchdown targets. Rohrer caught five passes for 135 yards, Rush finished with seven catches for 82 yards, Reifenberger added three receptions for 81 yards, Hilton had one catch for 75 yards, and Wesolowski contributed five grabs for 69 yards.
Up next, the Falcons host another nationally ranked opponent, UW-La Crosse, next Saturday, Nov. 8 at Ramer Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.